Malaysia Prepares for a Close Election Fight

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved Parliament on Wednesday, paving the way for an election sometime in the next two months. The WSJ's Patrick McDowell explains why this year's vote will be the closest election in the country's history.

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's call for fresh elections presents his fractured, multiethnic country with a stark choice: Stick with a ruling party that has governed the Muslim-majority nation for over half a century, or usher in an era of potentially sweeping change by electing Anwar Ibrahim's opposition alliance.

The date remains to be set by Malaysia's Election Commission after Mr. Najib dissolved Parliament on Wednesday. But the race already is shaping up to be the most important and closely...